Club History

Manx Harriers was founded in 1991 with the amalgamation of Boundary Harriers and Manx AC. The clubhouse is based at the National Sports Centre in Douglas. It is here that the Isle of Man’s only all weather track was laid in 1991 and opened by Steve Ovett. This was one of the factors influencing the merging of the two main clubs on the Island to make better use of the NSC facilities, share resources, and hopefully also to improve the standard of Manx athletes in the future. Boundary Harriers had been based in the same area before the multi million pound development was built. Manx AC athletics events were previously based on a grass track in Tromode, Douglas.

The club has changed a great deal over the twenty years. Manx Harriers is a much bigger club with more members and a wider range of athletics events including road running, track & field, cross country and racewalking. We also compete much more now in off –island events.

Some current & past individual achievements

Current most successful club athletes include Keith Gerrard, England and GB International. He has competed twice at the World Cross and once at Euro Cross. He has won international races on the continent and in 2006 was awarded IOM Under 21 Sportsman of Year at the presentation attended by ex-Olympic swimmer Sharon Davies.

Steve Partington has been the top ranked UK 50K racewalker in the past. Steve has represented the Isle of Man at the past 6 Commonwealth Games and made 4 Racewalking World Cup appearances.

In 2005 Sean Hands won the National 100 mile Walk Championships and in 2006 famously broke the 85 mile Parish Walk record which had previously stood for 27 years. Sean retained his 100 mile Walk Championship title in the Isle of Man in 2006 Graham Young was 4th place in the 1974 Commonwealth Games Walk and Elizabeth Corran was World Veteran Over 40 racewalking Champion and record holder in 1996. Manx Harriers have boasted a number of junior racewalking champions and medallists at National level in the past with current top Junior walkers Lauren Whelan and Alex Eaton continuing in their footsteps. Steve Taylor has been appointed head racewalking judge for the London Olympics in 2012.

Other stars from the past include Brenda Walker (UK international road runner in 1990’s) Derek Harrison ultra distance walker (1970’s & 80’s) and Bill Kelly ultra runner (1950’s).

Leagues/divisions & competitions the club’s athletes compete in

U11, U13 and U15 athletes compete in the Young Athletes    League as part of Team Isle of Man a composite club with athletes from Manx Harriers, Northern AC and Western AC 

U17, Junior and Senior athletes compete in the Northern Track & Field League Div 2W as part of Team Isle of Man a composite club with athletes from Manx Harriers, Northern AC and Western AC 

The club has had regular representatives for Lancashire and North of England.

At the Lancashire Cross Country Championships Manx Harriers regularly win individual & team medals. Manx Harriers senior men have been county champions 7 times in 12 years and won many team and individual medals. We are regular attendees at the County and National Cross Country Championships.

On home soil, the club competes in the Microgaming Cross Country League.

Membership numbers

Manx Harriers membership is currently approximately 300. Membership details here

Competitions hosted by the club

The club organises several road runs although the 10 mile Peel to Douglas run ceased in 2010 due to road safety concerns. This was the oldest established road run on the Island dating back over 100 years. The road run was replaced in 2011 by a trail run over the Heritage Trail on the disused railway lines between the two towns,

The Manx Telecom sponsored Parish Walk in June is the oldest event on the Manx sporting calendar dating back over 100 years, The idea of an 85 mile walk, visiting all 17 Parish Churches around the Island in under 24 hours goes back into Manx Folklore. Entry numbers have grown substantially over recent years. In 2011 the event attracted over 1500 entries with 159 people making the finish line in under 24 hours. 

The Easter Festival of Athletics celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012 with a number of special add ons to mark the occasion.  In 2011 the festival attracted over 200 visiting athletes from Universities and Clubs in England Ireland and Scotland alongside many local runners combining to enjoy the 3 great days of athletics – Good Friday 10K road run, Saturday Hill race, Sunday 4 x 5K relay

The Manx Open meeting held in February/March every year at the NSC has been running since 1968 and annually attracts top walkers from UK and Ireland. In the 1972 event the 20K walk World Record was set by England’s Paul Nihill (84m 50s). Qualifying events for National events continue to be set each year.

Racewalking events are held throughout the year, with road & track championship events for juniors and seniors over distances from 1K –20K and well as the popular handicapped Winter League series. The club is strongly represented in national events in the UK.

Our own Track & Field league is held at the NSC Track from April to August.

Manx Harriers organise one of the rounds of the local Microgaming Cross Country League and regularly host the IOM Cross Country championships.

Also, the club run numerous different training sessions a week in winter and summer from middle distance to sprints, racewalking coaching and technique work, throws, circuits and sports hall athletics. Our numbers of youngsters and particularly numbers of distance runners in teenage years is quite buoyant. details here

Facilities which the club have access to

The NSC athletics track, multigym/weights in the clubhouse, school sports hall for circuits and sports hall athletics. The National Sports Centre roadway is an 800m flat and fast circuit used for training and running and walking events. Douglas Promenade just a mile away and is great for time trials (no traffic), and nearby Pulrose playing fields and lower golf course is excellent for off road hills, reps and Cross Country sessions. Also the local fells,just a few minutes drive away from Douglas has fantastic views, fresh air enough to reinvigorate the oldest leg weary veteran!

How the club is run

The club is run by volunteers. Monthly committee meetings are held with sub groups for race walking events and track and field. There are additional organising committee’s for The Parish Walk, The Easter Festival and SCS Relay at Ballanette Farm in Lonan which replaced the Millennium Way Relay in 2010.

The club has many qualified coaches and officials, helpers. At a recent Northern League home match the club put out 26 qualified officials!

If you would like to help at any event then please get in touch.

The club’s hopes and aspirations for the future

To be as successful as possible and become more professional in the coaching, organisation and administration of athletics To at least consolidate positions in Track & Field leagues and if possible gain promotion. To get as many athletes into Lancashire teams as possible. The main thing though, is to continue to get as many youngsters involved in athletics as possible and so help develop the sport

Where we see the club in 10 years time

Hopefully, vibrant & successful. Encourage more athletes in the sport, with more coaches, officials and volunteers to share the load. Hopefully if the foundation is strong this will also see the peak high with more GB internationals, county and national medallists and local successes. The two ‘grass roots’ and ‘elite success’ in our view go hand in hand.

Overall summary of what the club is about

“Fun, competition and participation”. Without the first, no one would get involved. The second is a good experience for life in general and progressing up the sporting ladder & the third means a healthier life for all.

Andy Fox, Allan Callow & Paul Jackson

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